Thread breaker



Jan. 1, 1946. 4 E. H. SCHMIDT THREAD BREAKER Filed June 1, 1944INVENTORQ 1 W M Patented Jan. 1, 1946' THREAD BREAKER Edgar H. Schmidt,Wilmington, Deli, asslgnor' to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware 7 Application June 1, 1944,Serial No. 538,242

4 Claims. (01. 28-1) This invention relates to the processing of yarn,and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for rapidlythreading a yam about a series of yarn forwarding devices during a yarnprocessing operation.

Yarns are frequently processed by simultaneously passing a plurality ofyarns about a series of spaced yarn forwarding devices. As the yarnspass about this series of forwarding, devices, the

yarns may be treated with various treating solutions; they may be dried,stretched, heated or tion when taken in connection with the accompanyingillustration in which the single figure is a diagrammatic perspectiveview of one embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 8 designates a coagulatingbath tank for the production of a plurality of rayon yarns. The yarnsare produced by extruding a filament-forming 10- composition, forexample, viscose through a plurality of spinnerets Ill. The extrudedfilaments otherwise processed. Often as many as 50 or a,

100 yams, or even more, are simultaneously processed as a continuouslymoving yarn sheet moving about a series of driven rollers or similaryarn forwarding devices. I

In the processing of a plurality of yarns in the manner above described,it is necessary to thread, or lead the yarns about the series offorwardin devices. Since the yarn forwarding devices used in the art forthis purpose are generally driven rollers of the cantilever type withthe unsupported ends of therollers projecting toward the operator,little difliculty is experienced in threading, or leading the yarnsmanually about the series of rollers at the start of the processing operation.

It is frequently necessary, however, during the processing operation, torethread one or more yarns about the serlesof rollers while the mainbody of yarns of the yarn sheet is being continuously processed. It isexceedingly difllcult to manually thread a yarn about the rollers whenthe latter are already in operation forwarding a plurality of yarns.This is particularly true when the yarn is to be threaded adjacent thesupported ends of the series of rollers.

It is, therefore, anobiect of this invention to provide a new andimproved method of threading a yarn about a series of roller which areengaged in forwarding a plurality of yarns.

It is another object of this invention to automatically thread a yarnabout a series of rollers which are engaged in forwarding a plurality ofyarns.

It is another object of this invention to automatically thread a yarnabout a series of rollers engaged in forwarding a plurality of yarns andautomatically severing the yarn at a desired point.

It is nother object of this invention to provide a new and useful methodof severing yarns.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinai'ter.

The details of the invention-will be more clearly understood byreference to the following descripforming the yarns 12 are coagulatedinthe :bath in tank 8. In the production of viscose rayon, the coagulatingbath may be acid, for example, the commonly used "Mueller typecoagulating, regenerating bath.

The yarns l2 are passed about freely rotating grooved rollers ll, thenbetween pins it of comb I guide i8, and then about a series ofprocessing yarn forwarding rollers 20, 22, etc. A yarn waste roller 24is positioned to temporarily forward one or more yarns from the bathtank until oppor-. tunity is had to thread the yarn or yarns about theyarn forwarding processing rollers 20 and 22. The yarn waste roller 24is preferably positioned so that a plane passing through the axis ofroller 24 and rollers M will lie at an acute angle to a plane passingthrough the axis of roller 20 and rollers l4. Waste roller 24 ispreferably provided with a scraper 26 to remove waste yam from thisroller and 'passthe same to yarn waste container 28. Y

A yarn breaker roll 30 is positioned between the yarn waste roll 24 andthe path of the yarns passing from rollers ll to roller 20.

The apparatus described above operates in th following manner:

As shown in the drawing all yarns, with the exception of the third yarnfrom the right, desi nated a yarn l2a, are being passed about yarnforwarding rollers 20 and 22. (Although only two yarnforwardingprocessing rollers are shown in the drawing, a large number of suchrolls can be used to complete the desired processing of the yarn.) Tothread the yarn l2a about yarn forwarding rollers 20, 22, etc., it isfirst passed from the bath tank 8 about the yarn waste roller 24. Thisroll, by frictional contact with the yarn, pulls the latter from thebath, and scraper 28 scrapes it into container 28. A tie-thread 32 isthen passed about the yarn I24: and an adjacent yarn l2b, and the yarnsIn and l2b tied together by the tie-thread 32. The dotted lines show therelative positions of yarn I211 and the tie-thread 32 as they progresstoward the yarn forwarding roller 20. After the tied yarn isautomatically threaded about the series of processing rollers, it isseparated by positioning it between the proper pins of the comb guide.

In progressing toward yarn forwarding roller 20, the portion of yarn 12bbetween the knot in tie-thread 32 and the waste roller 24 mustnecessarily contact the breaker roller 30. The'surface of breaker roller30 which will come in contact with yarn l2b will move in a directionopposite to the yarn contacting surface of waste roller 24. and,therefore, the yarn-contacting surface of breaker roller 30 will movetoward the path of the yarns passing from rollers I4 to roller 20. Theportion of yarn between the knot in tie-thread 32 and the waste roller24 will be drawn between rollers 24 and 80 until it breaks between them.

The friction characteristic of the surfaces of yarn contacting rollers24 and 30 must be such that they will cling to the wet yarn withsufficient force to break or tear the yarn which is drawn between themby surface contact in the manner described above. yarn by rollers 24 and30, when the latter are composed of a molded or fused glass surface, andif both rollers have a contact with the yarn over an arc of at least180", is suiiicient to tear or break the yarn satisfactorily betweenthem in the manner set forth above.

A broken yarn l2a which is to be threaded as i above described may, ofcourse, be wrapped about waste roller 24 to impart a positive pull onthe yarn as the latter contacts breaker roll 30.

Preferably, waste roller 24 and breaker roller 30 should have aperipheral speed approximately the same as the peripheral speed of thefirst yarn forwarding roller 20.

Although the invention has been described With particular reference to arayon yarn spinning process, it will have utility in other processes inwhich it is necessary to thread a wet yarn about a. series of yarnforwarding rollers which are en- The total frictional pull on the Sinceit is obvious that many changes and modiflcations can be made in theabove-described details without departing from the nature and spirit ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notv to belimited to the above details except as set forth in the appended claims.v

I claim:

l. The method of threading a wet yarn abou a series of yarn forwardingrollers which are engaged in forwarding a plurality of yarns in aprocessing operation which comprises passing said yarn about a rollerwhich will exert a pull thereon by frictional .contact therewith,fastening said' yarn to a yarn being forwarded by said forwardingrollers, pulling that portion of yarn which is between the fastening andfrictional contact roller against another frictional contact rollerwhe'reby to tear the same.

2. The method of threading a wet yarn about a series of yarn forwardingrollers which are engaged in forwarding a plurality of yarns in aprocessing operation which comprises passing said yarn about a rollerwhich will exert a pull thereon by' frictional contact therewith, tyingsaid yarn to a yarn being forwarded by said forwarding rollers, pullingthat portion of yarn which is between the tie and the frictional contactroller against another frictional contact roller whereby to tear thesame.

3. A yarn processing apparatus comprising a series of spaced yarnforwarding rollers, means for guiding a plurality of yarns to the firstof said series of forwarding rollers, a yarn waste roller gaged inforwarding a plurality of yarns. Furthermore, the method of breaking awetyarn by frictional contact with two spaced friction surfaces movingin opposite directions may have utility in any process in which it maybe desired to tear or break such a yarn.

spaced from said first roller, and a yarn breaker roller between thewaste roller and the path of the yarns approaching the said firstroller.

4. A yarn spinning and processing apparatus comprising a plurality ofyarn forming spinnerets, a series of spaced yarn forwarding rollers,means for passing the yarns from said spinnerets to the first of saidseries of forwarding rollers, a yarn waste roller spaced from-said firstroller and a yarn breaker roller between said waste roller and the pathof the yarns approaching the said first roller.

EDGAR H. SCHMIDT.

